


epiphany

by nwtons



Category: The Maze Runner (2014), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, WHEEEEEEEEE, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 09:01:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2767394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nwtons/pseuds/nwtons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I had an epiphany.", he states. </p><p>Newt rolls his eyes, already so done with his best friend. "Did you, now?" </p><p>"Yes.", Thomas says, straightening and lifting his chin, adding a formal air to the situation. </p><p>"Care to elaborate?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	epiphany

It's a cold winter evening and Thomas is running through the snow in unlaced boots. 

He doesn't think about the fact that it's 20 minutes past five in the morning, or that he forgot a jacket and is gonna freeze his butt off in approximately ten minutes. Or that Newt is probably sleeping right now, like normal people do at this hour. He picks up a pebble and tosses it at Newt's bedroom window, anyway. But he's just had an epiphany, and he needs to see Newt  _now_. After a few moments and no response, he does it again. And two more times, before huffing defeatedly. 

He's about to turn around and walk back across the yard to his own house, when he hears a knock on a window and turns around to see Newt standing there. His hair is ruffled and he's rubbing his eyes sleepily, yawning, though Thomas can't hear him through the glass and the distance. For one second, he lets himself smile at the sight. 

Newt slides open the window and looks down at him like he's the biggest idiot in the world- which, okay, at this point in time, he might be. 

He shudders involuntarily, rubbing his palms together to elicit at least a little bit of warmth. Newt frowns and shakes his head. 

"Are you bloody bonkers, Tommy?", he hisses, "Do you know what time it is? Where the shuck is your jacket?" 

Thomas grins up at him and says, confidently, "I had to tell you something important." 

"Oh?", Newt replies, still giving him an exhasperated look. 

"Yep.", he smiles. 

Newt nods and holds up his hand, and then he disappears back inside. Thomas has to wait just a few minutes, and then he hears the front door open, and he sees Newt making his way through the snow. He tosses a hoodie to Thomas, who pulls it on, grateful for the warmth it provides. Absently, he notices that it smells like Newt. He closes his eyes and breathes in slowly, suddenly nervous about his epiphany. 

"So?", Newt prompts, impatient. His nose is red from the cold. Steam flows past his lips as he talks, and Thomas stares as it coiles, dissipating into the cold morning air. 

He coughs and blinks at his friend, at a loss. It seemed like a good idea when he had it ten minutes ago, but now he's left with standing in the middle of a snow-covered yard in his damn footie pajamas, having forgotten his jacket, about to admit to his best friend that he just found out that he's in love with him. At 5 in the morning. 

"I had an epiphany.", he states. 

Newt rolls his eyes, already so done with his best friend. "Did you, now?" 

"Yes.", Thomas says, straightening and lifting his chin, adding a formal air to the situation. 

"Care to elaborate?" 

"Well, I couldn't sleep, so I was just staring at my ceiling, you know? And then I though about calling you, but I figured you'd already be asleep, since it was, like, 3am. And then I was thinking about you for a while. And some stuff came to mind." 

Newt raised an eyebrow, his cheeks and nose flushed. Thomas didn't know if it was just from the cold anymore. But he felt his ears heating up as he spoke. 

"And then I had an epiphany.", he said. 

"Uh-huh.", Newt nodded slowly, still not having it. Though he seemed more confused than annoyed now. 

They stared at each other for a few silent moments, and then Thomas cleared his throat and took a step forward. 

"So you know how we've been best friends since, like, forever, right?"

Newt nods. 

"And you know you can tell me everything, right? And I can tell you everything, too?" 

"Yes, Tommy, get on with it. I'm about to turn into a bloody popsickle." 

Thomas huffs a laugh and rubs his hands together, pulling the hoodie over his mouth for a moment to feel warmer, and then pressing on. 

"Well, I had this epiphany, right. And I realized something."

"That's usually what an epiphany is..." 

"Shhh. Okay, anyway. You know how Minho always teases us and calls us "lovesick puppies" and "lovebirds" and "disgustingly oblivious shanks who can't tell their heads from their asses", right? Well, what if he's right?", Thomas asks, feeling giddy, "Think about it. We live next door to each other. We talk to each other literally all day. I just woke you up at 5 in the morning and you let me, and you're standing in the cold because I had an epiphany to tell you about!"

Newt looks at him like he's a lunatic. But he doesn't interrupt. 

"What I'm trying to say is- I think I might kinda maybe be a little bit in love with you. Sorta.", he says, all in one breath. And he doesn't miss the look on Newt's face when he hears the words- shock, understanding, confusion, contemplation, shock again.

"Woah."

"Yeah."

Newt shakes his head, "I mean... woah."

"I know, right?"

"You woke me up at 5 am and it's shucking cold as all hell, and I wanted to strangle you until I came out and saw you.", he says, in awe. "You forgot your bloody jacket! And you alwayd do shit like this, too! And the worst part is that I don't even mind. At all. Sometimes you're really loud and it used to be really annoying but then it stopped being annoying."

Thomas nods, grinning. This is what the epiphany looked like for him, too.

"You bite your lower lip all the time.", he says, smiling, "I didn't realize that it's something I noticed until tonight. And you look really cute when you're confused."

Newt frowns.

"There, like that!", Thomas laughs, huffing, "I just called you cute. Jesus."

"Woah."

"Yeah."

"You turn into a koala when you sleep.", Newt pitches in, "When you sleep over and we share my bed, you're like a koala. And I'm the tree."

"But I always offer to take out the fold-out and you say no!", Thomas protests, feeling his cheeks heat up.

Newt nods enthusiastically, "Exactly! I used to think it was because I was too lazy to set it up, but I actually like being the tree."  

"Oh my god..."

"Wow." 

They stare at each other, blinking slowly, both breathing heavily, like they've been running this whole time. Epiphanies are exhausting. 

Newt shakes his head again, looking amused. He huffs a laugh, and soon it dissolves into giggles. Before he knows it, Thomas is joining in. And they're standing there- like two idiots- in the middle of Newt's yard, at almost 6am, in the middle of winter, laughing because they've been in love with each other for forever, and they've just figured it out. 

"We're morons!", Newt says, between laughs. 

Thomas lets out a 'pffft' and starts giggling again, "Shuckin' doorknobs! Minho was right!"

This makes them laugh again, Newt holding his stomach and Thomas doubling over, wiping the corners of his eyes. 

"Hey, hey", he says, with another chuckle, "you know what I  _really_  wanna do right now?"

Newt hums, "What?" 

Thomas grins and looks up, realizing that they've somehow moved close together. Newt is literally a foot away. 

"I really, really... wanna kiss you.", he admits, huffing another laugh. 

Newt glances at the ground, hiding a smile, and he looks up at his friend with a small blush on his cheeks.

"You should do that.", he says quietly. 

Thomas nods, suddenly nervous again. He takes a small step forward, bringing him face-to-face with his friend. He can feel Newt's warmth, can feel the warm breath ghosting over his lips. His hands are cold and shaky, so he reaches down and twines his fingers with Newt's, smiling when the other boy gives them a reassuring squeeze. 

He closes his eyes, smiles, and presses their lips together. Newt's are cold, and chapped from the crisp winter air, and they're perfect. They pull away only when breathing becomes something that they remember is necessary. But they remain close, noses brushing, foreheads pressed together. Newt opens his eyes and smiles, and Thomas mirrors him automatically. 

"Woah.", he jokes. 

Thomas laughs, "Yeah."

 

 


End file.
